A Christmas story
by yogam65
Summary: Its Christmas Eve and Max is going to propose to 99 but when she can't make it home, Max decides to go to her


The snow fell at a steady pace as a blanket of white shrouded the city of Washington DC. It was 1968 and Maxwell Smart was prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve. Everything was ready, a beautiful fire, a candle lit dinner for two and a bottle of Champagne. It was going to be a special night, for tonight Max was going to propose marriage to 99. They had just started dating two months ago but Max just couldn't wait. He'd loved 99 for so long but was so afraid to tell her how he really felt about her. Now that it was out in the open, he didn't want to wait with a long courtship, he was ready to get married and settle down. He started to pace impatiently around the room. He knew he loved her and he knew that she loved him so why was he so nervous? Max pulled out the small red velvet box from his pocket and carefully opened it. Inside was a brilliant 1-carat Belgium cut diamond engagement ring. It set him back two months salary but he didn't care, just the look on 99 face when she opened it would all be worth it. Max checked his watch and started to wonder what was keeping 99. He knew she was on a mission but was supposed to have wrapped it up this morning and on her way home.  
  
The phone suddenly rang as he quickly picked it up.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Maxwell Smart speaking" chortled Max  
  
"Hello Max, its 99" she said sadly.  
  
Max was so excited hearing from 99 that he didn't notice the tone in her voice, "99, I can't wait for you to come over, I've got a nice cozy fire going."  
  
"Max I have to tell you." 99 interrupted  
  
Max kept on talking, "Romantic music playing."  
  
"Max.wait. I have to tell you."  
  
"Oh and 99, I just got the tree and it smells so."  
  
"MAX!"  
  
"Oh, Sorry 99, I'm just so excited to hear from you."  
  
"I'm sorry but... I'm not going to make it tonight Max" 99 said point- blank.  
  
"What do you mean you're not going to make it tonight. How come? I had a special evening planned"  
  
"I'm sure you did and I wish I could be there but."  
  
"But what?" Max snapped  
  
"I'm stuck"  
  
"What do you mean, you're stuck?"  
  
"There was a last minute change in the mission. The plans to be dropped by the courier needed to be reworked. By the time the Chief let me know, a storm blew in and now I'm snowed in. All the roads coming in and out are closed. Its gonna be another day till they clear it out. Oh Max, I'm sorry. I won't be able to spend Christmas with you."  
  
  
  
"But 99, this is our first Christmas together, you have to be here" Max whined.  
  
"Max, we've spent Christmas before"  
  
But not as a couple" Max sulked "Gee 99, I had a romantic night planned and I was going to ask you.  
  
Max stopped himself before he gave away his plans of proposing.  
  
"You we're going to ask me what?"  
  
Max thought quickly, "Ahhhh.. To help decorate my tree"  
  
"I'm sorry Max, looks like you're gonna have to decorate the tree yourself, I feel as badly as you do, but I'm stuck"  
  
"Well that just tears it, I guess that's it then"  
  
"Try not to be too upset, we'll have our Christmas in a couple days" 99 consoled him  
  
Max started to kick at the floor, "Yeah, I guess"  
  
"Merry Christmas Max"  
  
Max wasn't listening, he was still pouting.  
  
99 repeated herself, "Max I said, Merry Christmas"  
  
He quickly snapped out of it "Oh yeah, I love you too 99"  
  
"Goodnight Max" 99 sighed with an eye roll.  
  
Max hung up, walked over to the beautifully decorated table and blew out the candles one by one. He started to feel sorry for himself as he walked over and leaned his face against the cold window to watch the snow falling lightly outside. It didn't look as if it was ready to stop anytime soon. He couldn't stand the thought of being so very far away from 99 on such special occasions. Max sighed as he stared out of the window then decided to eat down at the diner by himself. If he couldn't be with 99 on Christmas Eve, then he didn't want to be with anyone.  
  
It was 7pm and Max sat over in the corner of the diner, his thoughts a million miles away. An older gentleman sitting across from Max was staring intently at him.  
  
"What?" Max asked, eventually. He couldn't decipher why he was staring at him.  
  
"Excuse me young man, I couldn't help but notice that you're putting sugar on your mashed potatoes" the old man inquired.  
  
Max looked down and saw that he was spooning sugar on top of his mashed potatoes and not in his coffee cup.  
  
"Oh.this." Not wanting to look stupid, Max quickly covered his mistake, "haven't you ever heard of sweet potatoes?"  
  
"Ohhh.. of course." smiled the old man. "I must try them that way sometime"  
  
Max's face turned to gloom as he dropped his spoon onto the plate and pushed it away.  
  
"When a young man is alone and sad on a wonderful night like tonight it could only mean one thing." replied the old man.  
  
Max looked over and waited for the answer.  
  
"His girl is not around to share Christmas with him"  
  
Max wasn't impressed with the man's perspicacity.  
  
"Lucky guess" Max scoffed  
  
"Why don't you tell me about it" the old man said with a gleam in his eye.  
  
Max didn't like talking to strangers about his personal life but somehow felt compelled by this older gentleman to open up.  
  
"I had a wonderful evening planned tonight, I was going to propose to my girlfriend and now she's stuck someplace and can't get home cause of this damn snow" Max said angrily.  
  
"Oh, that's a shame," the older man said, "If it were my girlfriend and I was say. 3o years younger, I'd find a way to get to her"  
  
"I already thought of that, but the roads are so bad and with his snow, I don't think I can get through." Max said glumly as he slumped down in his chair.  
  
"You won't know unless you try, Max" winked the old man  
  
Max sat straight up and began to think, "Yeah, I can at least try. The worst that can happen is that I'd have to turn around"  
  
Max quickly put down some money on the table and jumped up. "Thanks "  
  
Max started to leave when he turned around and confronted the man, " How did you know my name, I didn't give it"  
  
"Lucky guess" said the old man, arching his brow slightly as he grinned broadly.  
  
Max started out on the road. The snow was so thick he had trouble keeping the windshield clean. Max went slowly and carefully, making his way up the road to the courier cabin. He'd already been on the road for two hours and was still another hour away. Unfortunately, Max couldn't see the road at one point and veered off into another direction causing him to drive deeper into the woods. A huge snowdrift in the road stopped him from continuing.  
  
"Oh great. I'm in the middle of nowhere. How am I gonna get out of here" Max started to wonder.  
  
He threw the car into reverse and the back wheels started to spin. The car was stuck.  
  
"Now what am I gonna do," instinctively he grabbed for his shoe phone but realized he was wearing his snowboots.  
  
Max laid his head on the steering wheel, "This just keeps getting better," he mumbled miserably.  
  
After a while, the snow let up a bit but it was getting colder. Looking at the fuel gauge he had half a tank of gas left. He kept the engine running for a while to keep the heater going but that would eventually would use up all the gas. He'd have to conserve if he were going to make it through the night. Max drew his coat tighter around his body, he'd have to try and make it till morning so he could start making his way out on foot.  
  
Max looked at this watch, 10:45pm, He thought about 99 and how she must be all curled up in front of a roaring fire in that nice warm cabin. He looked at his surroundings, "Why did I listen to that old man, I could be home in front of my own fireplace, nice and warm"  
  
From the far off distance Max could hear somesort of jiggle, like bells. The jiggle got closer and closer until they sounded like they were close by. Suddenly they stopped.  
  
"Great, now I'm starting to hear things" Max said to himself.  
  
A sudden knock on the window made Max jump nearly out of his skin. Max wiped the window fog off with his hand, as it appeared to be none other than the old man from the diner. Max rolled down the window, " Boy am I glad to see you" The old man adjusted his glasses, "Well if it isn't the young man from the diner" On your way to your girls' house, I take it?"  
  
"Ahhhh, yes, but I took a wrong turn and got stuck in this snowdrift, " Max looked suspiciously at the old man, "We're about an hour from town, what are you doing all the way out here out so late?"  
  
"My cabin is just a mile away, I was on my way to work when I noticed your car stuck in this drift" the old man said.  
  
"How did you drive through all this mess?" Max questioned  
  
The old man smiled and pointed to his sled and horse.  
  
Max nodded and thought "You sure came at the right time, I was running the heater and was just about out of gas. I'd probably freeze out here by the morning if you hadn't come along. Can I get a lift back to town?"  
  
"I'm sorry, already late for work." the old man said, ".but I'll tell you what, you're more than welcome to stay at my cabin till the morning. Got every thing you'd need, nice and warm too. Oh, I haven't a phone but I'll contact someone to get your car pulled out in the morning."  
  
Max examined the situation, "Considering the alternative, I accept your kind offer"  
  
Max and the old man jumped into the sled and made their way back the cabin.  
  
From the distance, Max could see a light in the darkness. Getting closer he could make out a large log cabin, smoke was coming from the chimney and the lights were on. The sled rode up to the door and Max hopped out.  
  
"What kind of work do you do at this hour of the night?" Max asked.  
  
"You mean other than rescuing young men getting stuck in snow drifts?"  
  
"Yes" Max embarrassingly replied.  
  
"Oh, I'm mostly retired but this time of the year I'm a night watchman. So you better be good cause, I'm watching you" laughed the old man.  
  
Max smiled and nodded back, not know what to make of this strange and mysterious gentleman.  
  
The old man waved and drove away leaving Max at the door.  
  
Wiping his feet, Max stepped in the cabin, it was warm and comfortable just like the old man described and it smelled of gingerbread, just like Max's grandmother used to make. He walked down the hall to the sunken living room where he saw a dark haired figure sitting on the couch. Max thought it might be the man's wife.  
  
"Excuse me." Max started out to say when the head whipped around. It was none other than 99.  
  
"MAX! 99 exclaimed.  
  
"99!" Max yelled as he couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
99 couldn't get up fast enough and ran over to embraced Max.  
  
"Max, how did you know I was here?"  
  
"I didn't know, how did you get here?"  
  
99 and Max walked over to the couch and sat down as she told him her story.  
  
" After I talked to you on the phone, I was feeling so lonely and knowing how miserable you sounded cause we couldn't spend Christmas together, I decided to take the chance of making my way out. But I got the car stuck in a snowdrift. Then after about an hour of sitting in the car, here comes this older gentleman."  
  
" A chubby guy with a white beard?" Max inquired  
  
"Yeah, that's him. Anyway, he had a sled and rescued me. I asked if he could take me back to town..  
  
"And he told you he couldn't, that he had to work?" Max interrupted once again  
  
"yes."  
  
"And that you could stay at his cabin for the night, nice and warm" Max continued.  
  
99's amazement grew, "Why yes, how did you know?'  
  
"The same exact thing happened to me, 99"  
  
Suddenly the jiggle sound they both heard before they were rescued was echoing above their heads. Both Max and 99 looked up. Slowly they looked at each other with their mouths open.  
  
"Couldn't be" Max shook his head  
  
"Of course not" 99 conferred  
  
"Impossible" Max confirming his belief  
  
"Absolutely" 99 agreeing wholeheartedly  
  
Max and 99 let out a laugh of what could be a wondrous coincidence.  
  
"What's important is that we're together for Christmas." Max stated.  
  
Max looked to the clock, it was right before the stroke of midnight. Max knelt down in front of 99 on one knee. A small box, wrapped in gold foil was sitting in his hand. 99 slid the top of the box off easily, to see the small red velvet box nestled inside.  
  
She pulled it out and opened it. Inside sat a ring. A brilliant diamond engagement ring. It was beautiful but she barely had time to look at it before Max asked her, "99, Will you marry me?"  
  
She didn't need time to think. She knew, and had always known that she was destined to marry Maxwell Smart. She loved him more than anything else in her life.  
  
She looked up at him, tears of emotion glittering in her eyes. "Yes, definitely yes." 99 beamed as she held the ring between her fingers.  
  
Max took the ring from her hand and slid it onto her finger. She leaned down and kissed him deeply and passionately.  
  
They settled into the couch in front of the fire. "Merry Christmas sweetheart," he said pulling her closer and giving her a very deep kiss. They stayed that way for awhile; kissing and holding each other close as if they might be stolen from one another at any moment.  
  
"99?" Max asked barely above a whisper.  
  
"Hmm?" She responded tiredly.  
  
"I think this is the best Christmas I'll ever have." he proclaimed.  
  
99 hugged him tightly, which he returned graciously. Together they sat there, holding each other discussing their future plans together.  
  
It was getting rather late when 99 looked to the clock. 2am. She started to stretch and yawn then got up to walk to the bedroom leaving Max alone on the couch.  
  
Max watched her disappear into the bedroom and shut the door. He pushed his hand into the couch and sighed, "It beats sleeping in the car"  
  
Max looked into the fire and closed his eyes; it turned out to be a wonderful night, thanks to the old man.  
  
Max started to doze off when a pair of warm hands ran down Max's chest from behind. The touch startled him, " Don't you want your Christmas present?" came a whisper into his ear.  
  
"Sure" he replied looking around for it.  
  
Max slowly turned to see 99 dress in a beautiful red satin robe, her hair glistening from the firelight.  
  
Max swallowed hard as he stared intently at 99. His heart started to pound wildly as his pulse quickened.  
  
"It'll be in the bedroom. waiting to be unwrapped" 99 winked seductively.  
  
99 turned and walked back to the bedroom, Max stood up following right behind her, "Yes." Max smiled "It's gonna be a VERY Merry Christmas."  
  
The End 


End file.
